Friday 20th Octbet 2023

Around Sarlat

A peek outside and forecasters seemed to get it right with broken cloud and light winds. Still no sunlight till after 800 so a slow breakfast was the order of the day before our 14 km circular tour, which from looks of the map had plenty of up’s.

First part of trip was through the suburbs and there were lots of stunning houses. After a pretty flat start and a map malfunction  we headed uphill,  mainly on tarmac roads with diminishing views of the city as we headed into forested  territory.

Very different forests here with much smaller trees many are deliberately cropped so that they grow thin and not too tall – good for log burners once harvested.

Got a lovely surprise after about 4 kms at the top of the climb- a bar / cafe that was selling as much wine as it was coffee. We chose a coffee, whilst it was mixed pickings amongst the dozen or so locals who passed through.

It seems that the local store which abuts it is the initial calling point for bread, cigarettes and the newspaper, with bar a “reward station’. Given the welcome they gave each other it seems to be a ritual rather than a chore.

Like their meteorologist brethren in Aust the locals got it wrong and at about 1115 the drizzle started and turned into solid rain until we walked into the outskirts of town at days end.

With most of the walk on tarmac it was ok and with recent lack of rain even the paths through forests and paddocks were bearable, more importantly not slippery.

At one point we reached a sign which we interpreted as “beagle house”. It was more than Beagle House, it was a full blown minding kennel with a Heinz collection of dogs. Most barked a welcoming hello as they rushed to the gate. 

We were soon at another chateau, which would have been grand in its day. Whilst the barn had been restored and yards had been maintained the outside still remained untouched and looking through the windows, it had been left in a state of disrepair.

Apparently visitors come to look at the barn and are afforded use of a building with WC on it. Whilst it resembled a toilet it was basically unusable. 

We circled the chateau via a grassy track between a couple of fields with a low electric fence , all under the eye of a bull under a tree- just hoped he was enjoying the shelter. 

Back into the forest and through more farms all with freshly ploughed fields, and in one stores of corn – perhaps  for the piggery we passed later in the day. Just on pigs the guy at the market with the expensive ham only breeds black pigs and only feeds them acorns.

Found our way back to a tarmac road for all of 200 metres, but could not find the track. Wandered up and down before taking the first  one we thought was right and walked through paddocks before ending up in the right spot- at the bottom of another climb, albeit with nice views. There were plenty of cows  and fractious bulls eying us off during the journey.

Had two options for way ahead and selected what appeared to be shorter. Unfortunately, didn’t predict fact it was overgrown with blackberry bushes. We scratched our ways along for about 400 metres before rejoining the long route.

Still plenty of rain about as we headed for 3 Kms of tar surface, with plenty of traffic having us stepping onto the verge and giving you a little spray with the amount of water running down the road.

Came to a roundabout about 3kms from town and had a hallelujah moment thinking it was all downhill. As with most walks there are always surprises – this one a steep climb for about a kilometre. 

Finally reached some flat ground in a pretty affluent part of town with some beautiful homes looking back down the valley into Sarlat- some even had swimming pools which seems an indulgence in these parts.

Closer to town we slipped down a narrow lane, sometimes with a tree canopy,to reach the outskirts of the old town.

A little zig zag through some narrow lanes had us in the Main Street where we grabbed some lunch and then sloshed our way through the foyer of the hotel.

Spent some time trying to work out the jig saw puzzle of laying out clothes and gear to dry before a siesta and then a late afternoon visit to the laundromat.

Dinner was at a restaurant at the other end of town and with wet weather gesr on we headed over in steady rain. We had the menu of the day as part of our package.

Language barrier only got in the road with entree where Jane’s Beef Carpaccio was actually beetroot, which looked more like a dessert than an entree.

Not the best meal on tour but nice. No idea how this meme got there

Dinner over it was nice to go to bed knowing no walking tomorrow and weather can do what it wants. After 2 days of walking I was a bit sore- probably 5 day break and the food and drink intake.